A fitness event?

We pulled up to a creek blocking the hard-packed red dirt road somewhere in the hills of Maryland. It was nearing 2:30 AM. P was riding shotgun. We'd met at a gathering a week or so prior and I'd been part of high volume email traffic, but other than the last hour we'd spent getting to know one another, we were strangers. I was driving a borrowed car, a low riding silver grey Honda civic. I got my driver's license in a stick shift, but I don't drive much these days. The steep hills of Cumberland provided an early test, and the dirt hills a fine re-test.

Stopped at the creek, I let P get out and examine the the flowing water before us. He seemed to be the group leader; he was organized and seemed very together. He called me over to the creek for a second opinion. I got out of the car and by the light of headlights saw two parallel mounds three or more inches under water that seemed to form a trail leading from one bank to the other. Downstream, just off the left mound, a two to three foot drop led to more creek. I eyed the creek and eyed the low-riding civic.

"We might make it across those trails," I announced motioning with stiff hands in parallel tracks, "but I'm pretty nervous."

P agreed and informed me of alternate route which would require backtracking and additional time. We had at least an hour and a half before we would exchange places with our biking and running teammates. Our decision would cost us potential sleep, but would keep the borrowed car from becoming a part of the ecosystem.

We got back in the car and I looked at the embankment on each side of us. There wasn't room to turn around. We'd descended a hill to reach the creek and now we'd have to back out. I glanced over my shoulder and realized that on top of the darkness of night, my view was also obstructed by the bike we were carrying on the rear rack. I stuck my head out of the window and looked up into the darkness.

"P, I need you to roll down your window and let me know if I get too close to that side."

Up and up and up we went in reverse, P helping me maintain my position on the road. After about 150 meters, I had to stop and take a break. Another 50 meters after that and P directed me into a spot to turn around. As we wheeled away, I exclaimed, "Nice to meet you, P! "

If I ignore the many games of pool, the tussle with a bike rack, a few organizational hiccups, and the drive to Cumberland Maryland, this story began some two hours earlier in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. There were five of us, organizing gear and bikes in the two cars. A train rolled by, but otherwise it was quiet, the way one might expect on a Thursday night in northern Maryland. At about 12:15, we found our way to the starting line of Tom's Run. There was no fanfare, just Roger, the organizer and a participant, waiting to send off the various teams. We snapped a few photos and began a 200-mile journey. MB was running the first leg and D was biking along in support. Teams could start at any time after midnight on this night. The goal was to finish by 11 AM on Saturday morning.

While MB and D were sloshing through the darkness armed with bikelights and headlamps, P., A. and I were trying to make our way to the end of the first leg to do a little cheering. It was a little shaky at first. I unintentionally led A. into a game of chicken with an oncoming truck as we circled the Holiday Inn looking for gas. Some quick reverse work and the patience of a Ford owner got us back on track. We climbed through the neighborhoods until we found some friendly, possibly high, folks who guffawed and then pointed us in the right direction.

We waited in the darkness while the mosquitos enjoyed the buffet of our skin. We exchanged hellos with another team and soon saw the white light of arriving runners. It turned out it wasn't our team, but we clapped anyway. A few hearty claps in a dark and tree-filled place. We seemed small and I had a moment of impatience. MB and D arrived in good spirits with a thin layer of mud caked on their legs. We cheered for them for a moment and exchanged a few words about our early challenges. Then off they went. As they ran and biked off into the darkness, I heard D say "And then in my junior year..."

It would be almost 5 AM, before I hit the trail with P. I'd opted only to rest my eyes because after the thrill of the epic reverse had worn off, I was checking the trail for signs of light. Instead I heard frogs and bugs, and then the caravan of SUVs. They chuckled at our tiny car and then departed after their team had moved through. Finally, my teammates A and D arrived. They were right on schedule, but I was itching to get going. P ran first while I biked along next to him. He was chugging through the early morning hours and put down 13 miles at beautiful and brisk pace. We barely spoke as the sun came up and we cut through the morning fog. The trail all looked the same in a quiet, green, curving, flat way. We switched and I carried out the same pace for another 6 miles with P riding at my side. There was still morning fog and temperatures had not risen either. The wildlife seemed to be mostly in our heads as P was frightened by a lynx that turned out to be wildflowers and I swore I'd seen a kangaroo that was probably a deer.

Some time later, after a water stop and a little cheering for a weary MB and D, we made our first team stop. MB was tired like I've never seen him before. The usual spring in his steps had been reduced to something nearing a drag. He and D had put in a lot of miles over the last 8 or so hours and breakfast was badly needed. The veterans of this event had planned a perfect stop at a small-town diner. Delicious waffles and the first wave of reinforcements were welcome treats.

My next assignment as laid out by agreement and the binders full of maps, instruction, and fun, found in each car was to get the reinforcements, M, to her first leg, and then to pick up D so we could spend the day waiting for our legs together that afternoon.

I knew going in that waiting was going to be a large part of the experience and so I tried to incorporate that into my plan. The first daylight waiting with M was perfect. We rocked the binder fun pages until she spotted our team on the trail. I went galloping after them and then we made a successful transition.

Tune in next time for dam napping, goose chasing, and possibly the exciting conclusion...